Zoho Invoice vs Refrens

QuickBooks Online

FreshBooks

Wave

Emburse Expense Professional

Zahara

ddSuite

Compare Zoho Invoice and Refrens based on features, pricing, verified reviews, integrations & more on GetApp. Find out which software is best for your business in 2026.

QuickBooks Online is an all-in-one online business software designed to help manage business finances. The platform is built to scale businesses, unlocking insights and providing the functionality of a larger team, all on one integrated platform.

PayPal

PayPal provides an end-to-end suite of tools that can integrate with a business's existing systems and service providers. Its network of shoppers and businesses provides AI-driven data insights to help businesses reach new customers and drive results.

Abby

Abby helps businesses ensure that customer documents are legal and comply with the rules. Customers can pay online and receive reminders for late payments.


Zoho Invoice is an online invoicing software that helps you craft beautiful invoices, automate payment reminders and receive payments faster.

Accounting

Accounts Payable

Accounts Receivable

Activity Dashboard

Activity Tracking

Alerts/Notifications

Automatic Time Capture

Billable Items Tracking

Billable & Non-Billable Hours

Billing & Invoicing

Billing Portal

Client Portal

Contact Database

Credit Card Processing

Customizable Branding

Customizable Invoices

Customizable Reports

Customizable Templates

Dashboard

Data Import/Export

Data Security

Dunning Management

Employee Database

Estimating

Expense Tracking

Financial Management

Financial Reporting

For Small Businesses

General Ledger

Hourly Billing

Invoice Creation

Invoice History

Invoice Management

Invoice Processing

Mobile Access

Mobile App

Mobile Payments

Multi-Currency

Multiple Billing Rates

Offline Time Tracking

Online Invoicing

Online Payments

Online Time Tracking

Payment Processing

Project Accounting

Project Billing

Project Time Tracking

Project Tracking

Real-Time Reporting

Receipt Management

Recurring Invoicing

Recurring/Subscription Billing

Reimbursement Management

Reminders

Remote Access/Control

Reporting/Analytics

Reporting & Statistics

Sales Tax Management

Status Tracking

Task Management

Tax Calculation

Time & Expense Tracking

Timer

Timesheet Management

Time Tracking

Time Tracking by Client

Time Tracking by Project

Transaction Management

Reviews for Zoho Invoice come from a wide variety of industries, including Information Technology and Services (12% of reviewers), Marketing and Advertising (8%), and Computer Software (6%). The most frequent use case for Zoho Invoice cited by reviewers is billing and invoicing (81% of reviewers).

Users and use cases

Most reviewers indicate Zoho Invoice delivers strong value for money, especially for freelancers and small businesses, and they appreciate the generous free plan. Some users say the transition to paid tiers feels abrupt and costly, with limited pricing flexibility.

Value for money

The Zoho Invoice integration most frequently cited by reviewers is Zoho CRM, a CRM product rated 4.7 out of 5 for its integration with Zoho Invoice.

Integrations

Zoho Invoice is a billing and invoicing tool offering key features such as invoice creation, billing management, invoice history tracking, online invoicing, and invoice processing, among others.

Zoho Invoice

Web-based

iPhone

Windows

iPad

Android

Linux

Chromebook

Basic

Accounting Assistant

I like Zoho because it helps us in the invoicing of our small firm, we can make recurring invoices, charge to clients, and they can make payments through the invoice or portal.

Digital Creator

I found it a little tricky to work out how to set up the payments part, especially if I wasn't using a payment gateway, and wanted to provide transfer details directly. Although after some time looking around, I managed to get it figured out.

Account Executive

Zoho invoice is free and help us to paperless and we offer digital invoices to save time and eliminate errors in data keeping.

Writer

My favourite feature is sending quotes for clients to approve and then converting the document to an invoice to bill them at a later date.

Siding installer

I liked how you can design your own invoice and have lots of template options.

Also, invoices made to reimburse expenses made, appears as revenue in the sales report.

Manager

It allows you to create invoices digitally and follow up on them, taking care of the entire invoicing system, from the mailing and notification for payment, to the registration of the payment.

You can add products and save them in Zoho Invoice so whenever you make another invoice, you don’t need to type again and again all you need to do is select the product from drop-down list.

Your customers also have access to a self-service portal where they can view their invoices or quotes and make payments.

In the Free tier, you get a good amount of features that allow you to get the job done.

Executive Manager

We have CRM and Invoice integrated but it does not always sync up quickly.

You can't retrieve your files once you no longer have a subscription.

Operations

Pricing was compedative and you were able to use a lot of functions but there was a learning curve if youve never used it before.

Director

I have ended up just choosing to manually enter invoice data to save time messing with bulk uploads that get nowhere.

Owner

I really recommend using Zoho invoice if you are looking for an urgent way to invoice clients.

Business Manager

Great experience for me as the business manager and our staff who enters internal invoices.

Not much to dislike although maybe reducing the number of clicks to enter payments.

however, once I tried to analyze and use the reporting I did encounter a few hiccups.

The upload process is very complex due to tax codes, item codes, etc.

Founder of NKS PVT LTD

My overall experience with this invoicing software was positive as it has provided me a structural framwork to manage invoices and I love its user-friendly interface.

It is inexpensive, user friendly and our clients find it the best option we have sampled for being detailed

Co-Founder

Equiped with every single module to generate online invoices and management of BS from anywhere.

also not being able to center my logo to the invoice.

Zoho Invoice is a free online invoicing software that is perfect for small businesses.

Senior Recruiter

Customizable Invoice templates and automated payment reminders

Property Manager

I also like that it's easy to input any sort of custom information on the invoices or have default services that automatically create an invoice.

Affiliate marketing manager

I needed a simple invoicing solution, compared and tried a couple of tools, and ended up with Zoho, which seems the best for my needs.

needed an inexpensive invoicing option to generate small quantity of monthly invoices.

Managing Director

I wish it was a standard part of all small business training and the endless business podcasts by bankrolled people who do not understand what starting from scratch really means.

Financing

Zoho Invoice is a powerful, easy-to-use invoicing solution that’s packed with essential features for managing billing, payments, and client communication.

Accountant

ZOHO invoice has transformed the way I manage our finance make everything efficient with only one click

Furthermore, you can choose templates create your listings and discounts and much more.

Software Engineer

Its compatibility with nodejs helps me streamline the invoice creation and circulation much much easy!!!!

Senior executive

Users appreciate the automation options, like recurring invoices and payment

Owner & Principal Consultant

I love that all of my customer information and unbilled projects are stored so that when I generate an invoice for a client, I can easily add any unbilled work with a single click.  

Software engeneer

I am able to track my sales, forecasts, received and pending payments, configure different services with prices and taxes.

Travel Specialist

I love the fact that I can customize my invoices with my own branding and that it integrates seamlessly with my other business tools, like Square and PayPal.

Graphic Designer

The timesheet details could have a better visualization, such as displaying time logged for different time ranges in bar charts, pie charts, etc.

Additionally, Zoho Invoice offers a variety of payment options, including credit card and PayPal integration, making it easy for clients to pay their invoices online.

Digital Marketing Consultant

It enables us to monitor our clients' orders and set up recurring payments with reminders, which ultimately boosts our sales revenue.

Customer Service Representative

The Invoicing template customization options are also to an extend limited.

Human Resources Generalist

On top of everything, this platform is free to use and is on par if not better than similar paid platforms due to the wide array of customization and other features.

Provides all the features needed for invoicing for my small business.

Tutor

I wanted to change someone from a  yuan to USD but I’d have to delete and re-add them with a new email.

I also love that I can track the time I spent on a project and bill them per hour.

Phoyography Videography

It is also financially friendly for small businesses as it is free and excellent as an archive tool for your invoices.

Limited integrations outside zoho suite and just basic mobile app features.

Founder

I feel the customization of the invoice could be a little more user friendly for instance not being able to add or update the address in the top left corner I believe you have to update it in a completely different area and it was hard to figure out exactly what and where those edits could be made.

limited number of templates that can be used.

CEO, psychologist

With this one, Zoho Invoice, I can do an invoice in less than 5 minutes. And the best it's that is free!

Invoicing

Payments

Pricing

Payment Reminders

Templates

Billing and Subscriptions

Reporting

Options

Email customization and tracking issues

Some aspects are not configurable, or are difficult to change eg. layout of emails

55% of reviewers feel negative about Zoho Invoice’s email notifications. Some users report frustration with limited customization options for email templates, making communications appear generic or outdated. Reviewers indicate that tracking whether clients have opened emails is unreliable or missing, which complicates follow-ups. They also mention delays in email delivery and challenges in adjusting notification settings. Users think these issues can hinder professional communication and make it harder to confirm receipt or engagement from clients.

Complex settings and configuration

Interior Decorator

It was hard to navigate to the set up my taxes for "customers to pay tax" There are SEVERAL sections to click on for settings.  

This might have been fixed by now but the disparity between their different modules can be problematic.

44% of reviewers feel negative about Zoho Invoice’s updates and settings. Some users find navigating the settings menu confusing, with important configuration options buried in multiple sections. Reviewers mention difficulties in setting up taxes, managing bulk updates, and accessing advanced features. They say the layout can be unintuitive, requiring extra time to locate and adjust preferences. Users also report occasional slow performance and challenges with integrating or updating certain functionalities, which can disrupt workflow.

Automated payment follow-ups

IT Consultant 

I like the payment reminder and reoccurring invoice feature

96% of reviewers feel positive about Zoho Invoice’s payment reminders. Reviewers appreciate being able to automate follow-ups for unpaid invoices, which helps them reduce late payments and improve cash flow. They say the reminders are easy to set up and find them especially useful for keeping clients on track without manual intervention. Users think the recurring reminder feature saves time and ensures no outstanding payments are overlooked. Some reviewers find that the reminders help streamline their collection process and provide peace of mind by keeping payment tracking organized.

Tailored for small businesses

96% of reviewers feel positive about Zoho Invoice’s suitability for small businesses. Users indicate the software offers essential features that meet the needs of freelancers, startups, and small companies without unnecessary complexity. Reviewers appreciate that it is cost-effective, often free, and easy to set up, making it accessible for those with limited resources. They say the platform’s flexibility and straightforward design help them manage billing and administrative tasks efficiently. Some reviewers mention that it adapts well as their business grows, supporting evolving requirements.

Zoho Invoice vs Refrens Comparison (2026)

Zoho Invoice

Refrens

Overview

Video & Screenshots

Pricing

User reviews

Key features

Integrations

Alternatives